One Man Shy: Peter and the Librarian
by EvilXTwin116
Summary: It started with an overdue library book and a pack of bass strings
1. Meeting

**A/N - This one is specially dedicated to the lovely Farfisa68. The plot seed was hers, the writing is mine. Hope you like how it turns out! Love you!**

**PS - I know The Devil and Peter Tork aired after The Picture Frame, but for the sake of the story I'm mixing it up :-P**

* * *

Mike, Peter, Davy and Micky shuffled back into the Pad after a long day. Mike, Micky and Davy had spent the night before in a jail cell and that very morning in court facing robbery charges. Peter had saved the day by showing the judge Davy's baby picture. Somehow Peter had come through, even if at the last minute. They were all very proud of him for it.

Needless to say the boys were happy to be home. Not quite having the focus to pay attention to where he was going, Mike suddenly tripped and fell over something that had been lying on the floor.

"What in the world?" Mike asked to no one in particular. He looked across the floor to see what he had tripped over.

"Hey, Mike," Peter said, walking over to where his friend was splayed out on the floor. "You ok, man?"

"Yeah," Mike replied, picking up the book Peter had left on the floor when the cops raided the house the night before. "I just tripped over this library book."

"Oh no!" Peter cried. "That's the book that's a week overdue!"

"It's alright, Pete," Mike said with a smile as he handed the book to Peter. "You think you can take this back to the library this afternoon?"

"Sure, Mike," Peter said, taking the book. "I was just gonna fool around with my bass for a little while. I'll bring this back after."

"Sounds good to me, Shotgun," Mike said, heading for the stairs. "I'm gonna go take a nap. This has been way too long of a day."

"Ok, Mike," Peter said. "Sleep well."

Peter sat in the alcove plucking away at his bass for a long time. A notebook rested next to him that he would sporadically jot notes down in. He had a good start to a new song going and he wanted to make sure he wouldn't forget. He had been working on this song for some time now. It always cheered Mike up when any of them came up with a new idea, even if it took Peter a long time to get it just right. Peter was very picky about his songs, maybe even more so than Mike. Peter finished scribbling down the bass line and went to play it back when his E string snapped.

_Damn,_ he said to himself. _That was the last E string I had. _He looked up at the clock. _Oh man it's already 2:30. I better get down to the library before they close._

Peter put his bass down and grabbed the book before beginning his short walk to the library. On the way he passed the music store and remembered that he needed a new E string for his bass. _Perfect!_

He looked in his pocket and saw that he had $4.50 left from their last gig. He decided he would get the string now since he was already here. Unfortunately, the store only had packs of strings so he couldn't buy just the E string. _Oh well,_ Peter thought. _I'll just be prepared for the next time I need a new string now._ He paid the $3.41 for the pack of strings and continued on his way to the library.

Peter entered the library and took a deep breath. He loved the smell of books. Even though people thought he was a dummy, Peter had a very good mind and he loved to read. The library was always one of his favorite places to be, other than on stage with his bass. He looked around and noticed that there was a new librarian at the service counter.

The woman was tall and thin, but not so thin that her body had no shape to it. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled tightly into a neat bun at the back of her head. She wore a flattering pair of wire rimmed glasses, a pretty dress with a simple stripe design, and a light sweater over the top. Peter thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, even more pretty than his debutante. He slowly made his way to the counter, trying to look around at things so as not to stare at the beautiful woman in front of him.

"Hi there," the librarian said once Peter had mustered up the courage to walk up to her. "I'm Leanne. How can I help you today?"

"Well… ummm," Peter stumbled, trying to remember why he was at the library in the first place. He looked around and noticed the book in his hand. Somehow he had forgotten all about it! "Oh! This book. It's ten days overdue!"

"Here, let me take a look," Leanne said with a smile. "What's your name?"

"It's Peter," he said with a smile. He handed her the book and she located the check out card.

"Hmm, you're right," she said looking over the ticket. "It is ten days overdue. The late fee is going to be $2.50." Peter checked his pocket and pulled out the $1.09 that he had left over and the package of bass strings. His heart fell. He didn't have enough to pay the fine now.

"Oh no," Peter groaned.

"What's the matter?" Leanne asked.

"I stopped to buy strings for my bass on the way here and now I don't have enough to pay the fine," Peter said sadly. "I should have thought about that before stopping at the music store.

"Oh, you're a musician?" Leanne asked. She loved music and this boy was too adorable to pass up. She started getting an idea.

"Oh yes," Peter said perking up a bit. "I play bass and I'm in a band called the Monkees with my friends Mike, Micky, and Davy!"

"Oh that sounds wonderful," Leanne replied.

"It is," Peter replied, but his face grew solemn again. "But we don't have steady work. This is all I have left until we get another gig." He showed her the $1.09 that he had. "I don't know how I'm going to pay for the book." Peter gasped and looked rather startled suddenly.

"Oh no! I'm not going to go to jail am I? I just got the rest of the guys out of jail! That would be terrible!"

Leanne tilted her head at him. Yes this boy certainly was one of a kind. She saw a naivety in him that she didn't know existed in grown men. A childlike quality that was too damn cute to just let him be so miserable over a book fine. But she also saw that Peter was devoted to his trade and at any rate had an endearing smile. And that dimple was enough to sweep any woman off her feet. Or at least make her think some _very_ intimate things. Him being so upset over the money played right into her little plan.

"No, Peter," Leanne said with a smile. "I'll tell you what, let's make a deal. If you agree I'll waive the fine."

"Oh no!" Peter cried. "Last time I made a deal with someone the Devil tried to take my soul!"

"Oh dear," Leanne said with a chuckle. "Not that kind of deal at all! If you agree to take me out on a date then I will forgive the fine. What do you say?"

"A date?" Peter asked, clearly shocked. He hadn't tried to date anyone since Valerie Cartwright. "Well… umm… ok!" Peter was shocked again that he had agreed.

"Perfect," Leanne replied. "How about next Wednesday? That gives you a whole week to decide where you want to go."

"Ok," Peter said, turning a bit red. "I better get back to the Pad! I'll see you later. Bye!"

"Bye, Peter," Leanne said, waving. "I'll see you soon."

Peter turned on his heel and rushed out before she could see just how embarrassed he was. He slowed down once he was outside and allowed himself to take a break. _What am I gonna do?_ Peter didn't have much luck with women and even with the advice the guys gave him from last time he still wasn't sure of what he was doing. _And she's so pretty too. I wonder why she wants to go on a date with me. _He had to come up with a plan and fast or Leanne would be very unhappy.

Peter's mind raced the whole walk back to the Pad. He didn't even realize he was walking until he was standing at the back steps. He still hadn't come up with any idea of how to do this, but he didn't want to burden the other guys for advice. It hadn't turned out so well last time. He sighed and climbed the stairs.

When he walked inside he was surprised to see Mike sitting at the kitchen table with a newspaper. He had hoped that the guitarist would still be napping. He tried to compose himself and made a beeline for his and Davy's bedroom.

"Hey, Shotgun," Mike said. "Did you get that overdue book fine paid up?"

"Umm… well... yeah… of course," Peter replied. He kicked himself for sounding so uncertain.

"You ok, Pete?" Mike asked, looking up from the paper.

"Yeah," Peter said quickly. "I'm just a little tired from the walk. I'm going to go lay down for a bit."

"Ok," Mike said sceptically. "If you're sure you're alright."

"I am," Peter said walking quickly to the room and shutting the door behind him.

_I wonder what's gotten into him, _Mike thought as he returned to looking for new gigs. He made a mental note to mention this to Micky and Davy when they got home and vowed to keep a close eye on the bassist. He was very worried, it wasn't like Peter to be so flippant and it _definitely_ wasn't like him to be so tired after a short walk, he loved to take long walks.

Once safely behind closed doors, Peter was happy to find that Davy was not there. He'd already fumbled the conversation with Mike and he really didn't feel like having a repeat. He laid down on his bed and thought about what had happened at the library. As he lay there he began to have a harsh conversation with himself.

_You're going to make a fool out of yourself, Peter. Just like last time,_ Peter's inner voice told him

_Hey! I didn't steal anyone's portrait this time! _Peter argued with himself. He wasn't quite sure this was helping at all.

_No, you just agreed to a date with arguably the most beautiful woman you've met since Valerie, _the voice argued back. _What are you going to do with her?_

_Well… I haven't gotten to that yet, _Peter thought with sadness.

_You only have a week,_ the voice sneered. _You better come up with something._

_I know…_

_You should just ask for help._

_No! _Peter thought with determination. _I'm going to do this on my own this time._

Fed up with his internal monologue, Peter rolled over and closed his eyes, hoping that maybe something would come to him in a dream. Sleep didn't come easily to him and he laid there for what seemed like hours just thinking of Leanne.

* * *

Back at the library, Leanne was very pleased with herself. Not only was she helping Peter out with his overdue book charge, but the shy, sweet boy agreed to go out with her. She couldn't help but think ahead of the things she would love to show him and do with him. It was rare to find such a sweet mannered man anymore. Especially one as good looking as Peter. And the best part was he wasn't spoiled by his good looks as so many men are.

Leanne knew she would have to take it slow with Peter. She imagined that this first date would likely be awkward and that he would be very shy. She was determined to help him come out of his shell. All he needed was a little confidence, she was sure of it. She wondered if Peter had been on dates before. It didn't really matter though, she would gladly show him a thing or two.


	2. Suspicions

**A/N - Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed :-) You're support means the world to me! 3**

* * *

Over the next few days Peter visited the library every chance he could. He would say hello to Leanne then take a book over to a table near her desk and read. Well, more watch Leanne than read. He wasn't trying to be creepy, though he wasn't sure it was coming off that way. He just wanted to get to know her a bit. And he still felt way too shy to talk to her.

Peter did notice that everytime he came in Leanne would smile at him, but it didn't seem like a normal "how are you today" smile. There was something a little bit dark and more than a little bit sexy about her smile. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Leanne enjoyed seeing Peter every day. By the third day in a row she had seen him take a book over to what she now called "his" table; she decided enough was enough and went over to talk with him on her lunch break.

"Hi, Peter," Leanne said with a smile as she took the seat next to him.

"Oh," Peter said, startled. "Hi, Leanne. I didn't see you there." He buried his face in his book so she wouldn't see that his face had gone beet red in embarrassment.

"How are you doing?" she asked. She was hoping to get him to come out of his shell a little.

"I'm alright," Peter said flatly. "How are you?"

"I've been good," she replied. "I've noticed you've been reading a lot lately. What have you got here?" She took the book from Peter's hands, which was in fact upside down. Leanne giggled to herself, but didn't call him out on it. She didn't want him to be any more embarrassed than he already appeared to be. "To Kill a Mockingbird. Oh this is one of my favorites. Are you enjoying it?"

"Yes," Peter said nervously. "I haven't gotten very far with it yet though."

"Hmm," Leanne said. A positively naughty idea popped in her head. "I have a book I think you would enjoy very much once you've finished this one. Let me know when you're ready and I'll have it at my desk waiting for you." She flashed him a smile and got up from the chair. "I've got to get back to work, but I'll see you soon."

Peter watched her walk away and buried his head in his hands.

Oh, that was real smooth, Peter. She knows you weren't reading that book. You were holding it upside down for crying out loud. Peter was really growing to dislike this inner voice.

I know, Peter answered himself.

She probably thinks you're a big weirdo! You're lucky she's still talking to you. I don't know what she sees in you, but you better do something quick.

I know! Peter sighed getting up to leave. He grabbed To Kill a Mockingbird, vowing he would actually read it and be ready for whatever book Leanne was going to give him. If this was ever going to work he needed to get over this. And he needed that voice to go away. It was only making things worse for him.

He walked back to the Pad with his head hung. He felt like a complete failure. This seemed just as bad as the whole Valerie Cartwright incident. Sure he didn't have Mike, Micky and Davy trying to make him out to be something he wasn't, but he was making a fool of himself just the same. When he walked inside he holed himself up in his and Davy's room as he had every day after coming from the library. He laid on his bed and opened the book he had brought home.

"When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem's fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self conscious about his injury."

Peter read over the first two lines many times before pulling a dictionary out from under his bed. He had never been good with big words, but if he was going to read this he wanted to understand it.

"Assuage - to make an unpleasant feeling less intense," Peter read to himself. "Oh that makes sense!" Peter smiled and continued to read, stopping every now and then to look up a word so that the story would make sense. He found himself very much enjoying the book once he knew what was going on. He laid on his bed and read happily with no idea of what was going on right outside the bedroom door.

* * *

Mike had been pacing ever since Peter got home. This was the third day in a row he come back from the library and locked himself in his bedroom without so much as a word to anyone. Mike was really beginning to worry about Peter. He remembered the day Peter had come home from the library after returning the overdue book.

"Hey, Shotgun," Mike said. "Did you get that overdue book fine paid up?"

"Umm… well... yeah… of course," Peter replied.

"You ok, Pete?" Mike asked, looking up from the paper.

"Yeah," Peter said quickly. "I'm just a little tired from the walk. I'm going to go lay down for a bit."

"Ok," Mike said sceptically. "If you're sure you're alright."

"I am," Peter said walking quickly to the room and shutting the door behind him.

Yes, Mike was sure that was when this whole thing, whatever this thing was, had started. By the time Micky and Davy come back from the beach Mike thought he had figured it out.

"Hey, guys," Mike said sitting at the kitchen table. "Can you come in here for a minute. We need to have a discussion."

"Sure, Mike," Davy said taking the seat across from him.

"Where's Big Peter?" Micky asked. "Shouldn't he be here if we're having a band meeting?"

"That's just it," Mike replied. "This little meeting is about Peter. I've been real worried about him lately. He goes down to the library every day, stays there for hours and then comes back here without so much as a word and goes straight to bed."

"You know," Davy started. "I have noticed that Peter's been acting a bit strange lately. I just never thought anything of it because, well you know, it's Peter."

"Yeah, but if something's eating him we have to find out what," Micky said.

"I have an idea of what's going on," Mike said. "But well have to go to the library when we know for sure Peter won't be there."

"Do you think someone at the library is taking advantage of our Peter?" Micky asked in a panic. He stood up so fast he nearly knocked over the chair he had been sitting in.

"Cool it, Micky," Davy said.

"Sit back down and lower your voice," Mike said. "I don't want Peter to overhear us." Micky sat back down and he and Davy looked at Mike with concern. "I don't think someone is taking advantage of him, per say. I think he didn't have enough money to pay that overdue book fine and the librarian is making him work it off."

"But don't you think he'd tell us if that's what happened?" Davy asked. "I mean it's not that bad of a thing. We don't have the money to pay Babbitt all the time." Micky and Davy chuckled a little at the thought of their irate landlord.

"That's not funny, guys," Mike said sternly. "It's not like we do that on purpose." Mike faltered and chuckled a bit to himself. "Though the look on Babbitt's face when he does come around is priceless." He laughed again and then composed himself. "But that's not the point. Peter may be too embarrassed to tell us that he couldn't afford it."

"I've got an idea," Micky cried as quietly as he could while still expressing his excitement. He leaned in close to Davy and Mike.

"Ok, Mick," Mike said. "But we have to keep utter secrecy."

"Secrecy, secrecy, secrecy..." the three whispered between themselves. They dissolved into a fit of giggles and had to compose themselves before they were able to continue with their conversation.

"Ok," Micky continued. "First we…" he whispered the first part of the plan to Davy and Mike.

"Yeah," Mike and Davy agreed.

"Then we…" Micky continued, looking around every now and then to make sure no one was listening even though they were the only ones there. Mike and Davy nodded. "And then Mike…"

"Why me?" Mike asked.

"Because you're the leader!" Micky and Davy replied.

"Oh," Mike said. "Ok then. Continue."

"So then we…" Micky finished. "And we save Peter from the evil, controlling, maniacal librarian!"

"Right!" Davy and Mike said in unison.

"We put the plan into action tomorrow morning," Mike said. "You all know your assignments. Good luck, men!"

* * *

In the morning the boys waited for Peter to come out for breakfast to make their move. Luckily, the plan sort of came together on it's own. Mike was trying to cook breakfast, but they didn't have much of anything left. He did his best and made some pancakes with the rest of the flour and eggs that they had.

As he figured it would, the smell of pancakes and coffee lured his three bandmates out of their beds and to the table. Micky and Davy dove in head first while Mike served. Peter walked slowly to the table his nose still buried in To Kill a Mockingbird. He had read most of the night and he only had two chapters to go. He sat down at the table and ate while he read in silence. His three friends glanced at each other.

"Peter!" Micky yelled.

"Hey, Micky, man you don't have to yell," Peter said picking his book up off the floor where he tossed it at Micky's scream. "I'm right here. You're gonna give me a heart attack."

"Peter," I didn't have a choice," Micky said giving the bassist a quizzical look.

"What do you mean you didn't have a choice?" Peter asked.

"We've been calling your name over and over," Davy replied.

"Yeah, man," Mike said. "You didn't hear us."

"Oh," Peter said in shock. "I'm sorry, fellas. What did you need?"

"We we're trying to ask you if you could go to the grocery store this morning," Micky said.

"Yeah, we're all out of…" Davy started. "Well, everything."

"And it is your turn to go, Shotgun," Mike finished.

"Oh, I was gonna go down to the library. "I'm almost finished with this one." He held his book up proudly. He looked at the questioning faces of his friends and slowly lowered the book. "But I guess I can go there after the grocery store."

"Great," Mike said. "Thanks, Pete. Here's the list." He handed Peter a long sheet of paper and the keys to the Monkeemobile.

"Hey, are you sure we need all this stuff?" Peter asked glancing at the paper. He saw things listed like caraway seeds, engine oil and a guitar cable. "But I can't get all these things at the grocery store!"

"I guess you'll have to make a few stops then, Pete," Micky said quickly as he pushed Peter towards the door. "We'll see ya later, Pete. Be careful!"

"Don't talk to strangers," Mike called.

"Stop, drop and roll," Davy said. Peter looked back at him clearly confused as Micky closed the door.

"Man, that wasn't as easy as I thought it would be," Micky said.

"Stop, drop and roll?" Mike asked. "Really, Davy?" He and Micky laughed as they gathered their own things.

"It was the only thing I could think of," Davy replied, shrugging his shoulders.

After waiting for the Monkeemobile's engine to fade away the three boys made their way to the library. The walk was only about five blocks and Mike was even more convinced that something fishy was going on. When they got there they stood out on the steps for a few moments looking up at the building. Mike wasn't sure what they would find here, but he knew that's where they had to start to get answers and help Peter.

Mike, Micky and Davy each took a deep breath and walked slowly inside. They looked around the entrance and didn't see anything suspicious. There was no one at the service desk so the boys gathered at a table close by so they could wait and watch.

"I bet the librarian is really an evil alien bent on world domination and starting with Peter," Micky said.

"Come on, Mick," Mike replied. "It's probably just a grumpy old man who's making Peter work off the debt."

"But what if it is an alien, Mike?" Davy asked. "What are we going to do?"

"We're not gonna do anything," Mike replied as he saw just who the librarian was. "Guys, I think I know what Peter's deal is."

"Really?" Micky asked. "What?" Mike pointed to where he was looking and Micky and Davy got their first look at the striking woman sitting behind the desk.


	3. Investigating

**A/n - sorry this one took so long! Hope you guys like it! Thanks to everyone who has been reading/reviewing! Love you guys!**

* * *

The three friends watched the blonde librarian for a while, trying to figure out how to approach the situation. It was much more delicate than they had thought originally. They started off wanting to save Peter from an "evil, vengeful" librarian, but now they just wanted to make sure this woman had good intentions for Peter. After all he was known to get himself into a jam when meeting new people, especially women.

"Ok," Mike started. "We're gonna have to go talk to her. We gotta make sure she's not trying to take advantage of Peter."

"Man, I hope she isn't," Micky said. "Peter deserves a nice girl. He hasn't even attempted to date since the whole Valerie Cartwright fiasco."

"Right," Mike replied. "So who's gonna go up there?" He was about to suggest they choose fingers for it, but Davy interrupted him.

"I'll handle this one, fellas," Davy said, moving to walk up to the desk.

"Wait, Davy!" Mike called. Davy turned around and regarded Mike with a questioning look. "What are you going to say to her? Don't make it obvious that we're asking for Peter."

"Yeah, and don't make it creepy," Micky added.

"Easy," Davy replied. "I'll just turn on the charm. If Peter's interested in her we need to make sure she hasn't got a wandering eye. And really, Micky? Me come off creepy to a woman?" He pushed Micky playfully on the shoulder. "I'm open to other suggestions if you guys think you have a better plan."

"No," Mike reluctantly agreed. He didn't like having to deceive the woman, but Peter was their priority. No one wanted to see Peter heartbroken again.

"What if," Micky started. "No, never mind. Chinese ice torture is probably a bad idea." Mike and Davy shook their heads at Micky's humor, but couldn't help chuckling to themselves knowing where he was coming from.

"Alright, Tiny, I guess you're on," Mike said. So Davy casually walked up to the reception desk, stars in his eyes and ready to swoon her. Mike rolled his eyes and he watched Davy engage her in conversation.

"Ello, Love," Davy said, flashing his signature smile. "Are you new here? I haven't seen you around before."

"I've worked here for the past two months," she replied. "And please, my name is Leanne, not 'Love'. And I've never seen you here before either. So can I help you find something or are you just going to stand there trying to woo me all day?"

"Who said anything about trying?" Davy asked, looking deep into her eyes.

"The fact that you're failing miserably," Leanne replied, trying to hide the amused smile blossoming on her face. Davy didn't know what to say. She had seen right through him and wanted no part of it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been rejected flat out.

"Go on back to your friends then," Leanne said. She hadn't failed to notice the three young men who had been gawking at her since they came in. She was minorly surprised it was the little one who had come to try to entice her. Though she found all three of these strangers attractive in their own way, she couldn't stop thinking about Peter. They seemed to be around the same age, but no doubt none of these three had the gently, child-like charm that Peter exuded without even trying. "I'm just not interested. You can even tell them I told you I have a boyfriend if you like to save face." She smiled a bit more kindly and Davy turned around to walk back to Mike and Micky shaking his head in bewilderment.

"Well," Micky said. "How'd it go?"

"Yeah," Mike added. "What did she say?"

"She turned me down," Davy said. "Before I even said anything! Then she told me I could tell you guys she had a boyfriend to 'save face'."

"Well that doesn't tell us if she's into Peter, but that does tell us that if she is, she's a keeper," Mike said, looking back at Leanne. "We've gotta find out for sure though."

"I'm not going back up there," Davy said. "I've humiliated myself for Peter enough for one day, thank you very much."

"I'll go," Mike said. Before Micky or Davy could reply he was walking up to the desk himself.

"If you're coming over here to try your luck at me you might as well just turn around now," Leanne said. "I already told your friend I'm not interested."

"Oh," Mike said. "Well, umm… it's not that. It's just… We sent Davy up here as a test."

"A test?" Leanne asked, a little annoyed.

"Yeah," Mike replied. "You see we're pretty sure our friend Peter has a thing for you, we're just worried about him. We didn't mean to deceive you, but honestly we couldn't think of a better way to go about it."

"Oh," Leanne said, perking up a bit. "What does your friend Peter look like?"

"He's about 5'9", sandy blonde hair, hazel eyes and a big, dimpled smile," Mike replied.

"Yes, I know who you're talking about," Leanne said with a smile. "He's just adorable!"

"Yeah," Mike replied, wearily. "But he's a really sensitive guy and we don't want to see him be taken advantage of or have his heart broken. He's kinda a special guy. Others might see him as dim-witted or slow or even dumb, but the truth is he's just as smart as anyone else, but with a touch of naivety and a caring heart that you'll never see in anybody else. We just don't want the world, or any one person for that matter, to destroy that in him. He'd be crushed and then we would be crushed."

"You boys really care about him don't you?" Leanne asked.

"He's our best friend and band mate," Mike said. "We're like brothers the four of us, so we have to look out for each other. I'm sorry Davy tried to trick you, but we had to make sure that if you did like him that you wouldn't hurt him."

"I could never do that!" Leanne cried. "I know what you mean about him being sensitive and a bit naive. I think he's really quite something. That's why I told him that, since he couldn't pay the fine for the book he was returning, I would waive it if he took me out on a date."

"Oh," Mike said, putting all the pieces together. "So that's what happened. Well thanks for putting up with us and our questions… umm..."

"Leanne," she said, offering him her hand. "And you are?"

"I'm, Mike" Mike replied. He motioned for Davy and Micky to come over. "You already met Davy and that's Micky."

"Nice to meet you all," Leanne said. "It makes me so happy that Peter's got friends like you to look after him. I had wondered how he was able to keep his spirit and now I know. He's got some truly amazing people in his life. When you see him, tell him I can't wait for Wednesday!"

"We will," the trio replied as they went to leave.

"And Davy," Leanne called. "Sorry I let you down so harshly, but I'm just not a two men kinda girl."

"No worries, Leanne," Davy said with a genuine smile. "I'm happy… We're happy you did. For Peter."

"Thanks for understanding," she said as she waved goodbye to the trio. She smiled to herself because she was happy Peter had some good friends who genuinely cared about his well-being. They were protecting him. She still hoped he would come out of his shell for her though.

Lucky for Mike, Micky and Davy, by the time they got back to the Pad Peter was still not home from the grocery store. They all sat at the kitchen table and pondered what they could do to help Peter.

"Maybe we should just stay out of it," Mike said. "Last time we tried to help Pete it really didn't go that well."

"That's true," Davy said. "Micky, your Cyrano de Bergerac idea failed miserably."

"Yeah, well dressing up to make him look important didn't work either," Micky said. "Maybe you're right, Mike. Maybe we should just let him work it out on his own."

"I'm sure he had to have learned something about talking to women since then," Mike said, though he wasn't all that convinced of the idea himself.

"I don't know about all that," Micky replied.

"Why don't we just tell him we know and offer our help if he wants it," Davy suggested. "That way we aren't forcing him into doing something he doesn't want to, but gives him a chance to ask for help if he dies want it."

"I think that may be the best way to go, Davy," Mike said. "He definitely needs to know that we know."

"Know what?" Peter asked, trying to come in the door with his arms full of grocery bags. The guys all rushed to help him when they saw that he couldn't fit through the doorway. Once the groceries were safely brought inside and put away they all sat around the table again. "So what should I know that you guys know?" Peter asked again.

"Well... uhh you see, Pete," Mike started.

"We were worried about you, Mate," Davy added.

"Yeah, you haven't been right lately, Big Peter," Micky said.

"So we went to see what happened down at the library in case someone was taking advantage of you," Mike said.

"And we figured it out pretty quickly, didn't we, fellas?" Davy said.

"We sure did," Micky said. "Man, Pete. She's gorgeous!"

"So let me get this straight," Peter said. "You guys tricked me into going to the grocery store so you could go behind my back to the library to see if someone was taking advantage of me. Then you probably saw Leanne there and if you did see her than you talked to her and told her you're my friends and now you're probably torn between trying to butt into my life by trying to help and leaving me on my own to do what I will. Is that right?" Mike, Micky and Davy looked at each other before nodding their heads in shame. "You guys are the best!" Peter said with a smile. "What would I do without you guys?" He brought them all in for a group hug as they looked at each other in bewilderment.

"So," Davy started. "Did you want our help?"

"Or do you wanna try and go it alone?" Micky asked.

"Well," Peter replied. "I've given this a lot of thought over the past couple of days and well this is just something I need to do on my own. Yeah I'm a little scared and more than a little overwhelmed, but I just need to do it myself."

"You've got it in you, Pete," Mike said, trying to encourage him. "I know you do!"

"Thanks, Michael," Peter replied. "Besides, last time you tried to help it just made it worse."

"Well the offer stands if you change your mind," Micky said. "We're always here to lend a helping hand."

"That's right, Mate," Davy added. "Don't be afraid to ask anything." Davy winked at him suggestively as he patted him on the arm.

"Now after being inside all day I could use some fresh air," Micky exclaimed. "Who's down to go to the beach?"

"You read my mind, Micky," Davy replied and the two ran out the back door before Mike or Peter could answer.

"I mean it, Shotgun," Mike said placing his hand on Peter's shoulder. "I may not have as much experience with girls as Micky or Davy, but I'm still here if you ever need to talk. About anything." Peter saw a flash of sadness cross Mike's face, but as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and Mike's usual half smile was back in place. "I'm gonna go play for a bit," he said grabbing his guitar. "I'll be upstairs if you need me." Peter watched as Mike disappeared into his and Micky's room and couldn't help but wonder what Mike could have been thinking of that made him so sad. He decided not to push it and just store it away for another time.


	4. First Date

Peter had been pacing back and forth for at least the past hour. He had changed his clothes three times, taken two showers and brushed his teeth countless times. He just couldn't seem to settle his nerves no matter how hard he tried and it seemed like time was standing completely still. It was only 10 in the morning; his date with Leanne wasn't until 6 that night.

"Shotgun," Mike said, coming out of the bathroom as Peter was about to knock on the door. "If you brush your teeth any more today, your gums are gonna bleed. Go sit down, you're making me seasick."

"Ok, Mike," Peter said, wandering back into the living room, but not sitting down.

"Pete, what's got you so wound up?" Mike asked, knowing full well the date was weighing heavily on Peter's mind, but wanting Peter to have the choice of telling him. "You're usually the most laid back guy I know and you look like you're about to jump out of your skin."

"I thought I could do it, Mike," Peter said, wringing his hands and walking over to the bay window. "I thought I was gonna be ok. I thought I could handle it, but all I can think of is how many ways it can go wrong."

"Are you talking about your date tonight?" Mike asked, clearly shocked that Peter had gotten himself so worked up since the night before. "Pete, man, you gotta just calm down. You're gonna make yourself sick."

"I think I already have," Peter replied, looking a bit green under the collar.

"Look, Peter," Mike said placing a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. "Leanne seems like a really nice chick. She's already interested in you. You just have to be yourself. Half the battle is getting a girl you dig to notice you and you already have that. You're gonna do fine, man."

"Thanks, Mike," Peter said, some of the green in his face dissipating a little. "I just can't help it. I keep thinking about how wrong it went, you know, last time I tried dating. I'm so nervous I'm gonna screw it up. I couldn't sleep at all last night. This morning isn't shaping up so well either." Peter sat down, feeling a little better, but not as much as he would have liked.

"How about this," Mike suggested. "Go take a long walk on the beach. Try to relax a little then come back here and take a nap if you can. Then when you wake up you can shower and get dressed and you'll be ready to go. You can even take the Monkeemobile to pick her up so you two don't have to walk."

"Really, Mike?" Peter said, lighting up a little. "Oh thank you! I'm gonna go for that walk right now!" He gave Mike a small hug and a bright smile before bouncing toward the door. "You always know what to say!"

"I wish that was true, Shotgun," Mike whispered to himself as Peter closed the door behind him.

* * *

Peter took a very long walk. He thought about everything Mike said, about his failed attempt at dating Valerie, even about all the different girls who had seemed to pass through their lives from one point to another. There seemed to be so many of them. He realized that even though Davy and Micky seemed to be blessed with women, maybe that wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Neither one of them had steady girlfriends. Davy seemed to have to beat women off with a stick, which once Peter thought about it didn't seem like it could be all that much fun. And the women who fell for Micky were another story altogether. He remembered that one girl, Brenda. She didn't seem to know what she wanted in a man at all, and that was enough for Peter to not really be jealous of that. Peter had never really known Mike to take much interest in woman at all. He seemed to have more important things on his mind.

_I guess I really haven't done so badly for myself when you really think about it. Maybe I can do this after all._

Peter headed back to the Pad with a renewed confidence in himself and laid down on his bed once he made it there. It didn't take him long to drift off to sleep between being up all night and the long walk he had just taken. He dreamed about what his perfect date would be like. He would pick Leanne up in the Monkeemobile and sweep her off her feet. Maybe bring her flowers and candy and pull her up in his arms. They would have a wonderful time talking and laughing. And when he dropped her off he would give her a gentle kiss goodnight.

When Peter finally woke up he had three hours until he needed to pick up Leanne. He showered and brushed his teeth one last time, got himself dressed and even managed to be happy with the way he looked. He had picked out a light blue button down shirt to go with their gray band pants. He managed to pick out a nice looking tie and even tied it himself. Mike, Micky and Davy were there to see him off and each offered him kind words on his way out.

"You look great, Pete!" Micky said. "Go and get her!"

"You're gonna have a great time, Mate," Davy said. "Can't wait to hear all about it when you get home."

"Just remember what I said earlier and you'll do just fine," Mike said, handing Peter the keys.

"Thanks, guys," Peter said with a smile. "I'll see you later!"

"He's growing up so fast," Davy said, pretending to blot at a few tears.

"I remember it like it was just yesterday," Micky crooned. "He came home from the library with a new song in his heart and crippling nerves. And just look at him now! He's ready to tackle the world!"

"We're losing him!" Davy continued in more dramatic effect. "Soon he'll be off on his own, making music and breaking hearts along the way!"

"Oh will you guys stop," Mike said with a goofy smile. "He's not going off to get married. It's just a date."

"Yeah, you're right," Micky said. "And he still has to get himself through the date. I hope he doesn't freeze up."

"Well, if he does maybe she won't care," Mike replied. "She seemed like a pretty groovy chick and I think she really liked him."

"Well, fellas," Davy said. "We'll just have to wait till he gets back to find out. I've got a date as well so I'll see you guys later."

"I'm right behind ya, Davy!" Micky yelled as he followed his friend out the door.

"Well," Mike sighed to himself. "Guess it's just me then." He picked up his guitar and headed out on the back deck to mull over his thoughts and lose himself in the strum of his only true love.

* * *

Peter arrived in front of Leanne's house just on time. He'd made a stop in the local park so he could bring her a flower. He picked a bright yellow daffodil. He didn't want to buy one and not have enough money for the actual date. He took a deep breath before walking up to the door and knocking.

"Hi, Peter," Leanne said as she opened the door. "So good to see you again. Just let me grab my bag and we can go." She looked more beautiful than he remembered and she was dressed very differently than she was at the library. Peter noticed the way her short floral dress clung to her curves and felt a tingle below his belt. He blushed furiously and reminded himself that this was only the first date. He chided himself for having such thoughts and tried to focus on not saying anything stupid. When she came back out and shut the door behind her, Peter remembered the flower.

"This is for you," he said excitedly. "I know it's not a rose or anything special, but it's pretty and yellow and reminded me of you." He closed his eyes against the sound of his jumbled words. This wasn't quite going the way he wanted it to.

"Thank you, Peter!" Leanne said taking the daffodil he offered her and squeezing his hand. "It's lovely." Peter blushed again and stood there, enjoying the feel of her hand on his. "Shall we go?" Leanne asked after a minute.

"Oh," Peter said. Her voice had startled him out of his thoughts. He didn't realize he had just been standing there staring. "I'm sorry. Yes, please let's go. Mike let me take the Monkeemobile to pick you up."

"Monkeemobile?" Leanne asked, but soon saw the bright red GTO and smiled. "Oh, Peter it's wonderful." She loved how sexy the car looked and couldn't wait to see Peter behind the wheel.

"Yes," Peter said with a smile. "It's Mike's pride and joy so we have to be careful, but don't worry. It's lots of fun." Once in the car Peter took off towards town. He was still embarrassed that he was fumbling and getting lost in thought, but he was trying. He brought her out to dinner and to a movie. Dinner went well, but the movie wasn't so great. One of those awful Frankie Catalina beach movies. He and Leanne enjoyed laughing at how bad it was though, so that made up for it. After the movie, Peter had one more surprise for Leanne.

"I've got one more place to take you," Peter said. "As long as you want to. I hope it's not too late. You probably have work tomorrow and want to get home to bed. Oh god I'm sorry I…"

"Peter," Leanne said quieting him. "I'd love to go." She smiled at him and he relaxed a bit as he drove them to their last destination of the night. It was Peter's favorite ice cream shop.

"This is my favorite place," Peter told her. "I just wanted to get something sweet for someone sweet." He blushed as he said it. He had been planning that line all night. He hoped it wasn't too cheesy.

"Peter, that's adorable," Leanne said with a laugh. "I love ice cream."

"Oh good," Peter said grabbing her hand without realizing it. He pulled her along with him to the line before realizing what he had done. "I'm sorry!" he cried letting go of her hand. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, Peter, I'm fine," she answered. "And you can hold my hand if you want to." She held it out to him and he took it. Once again he blushed furiously, but seemed to relax after a little bit. They ordered their ice cream, plain vanilla for Leanne and Rocky Road for Peter, and sat down on a bench near where the Monkeemobile was parked. They talked idly while eating their ice cream. Peter told Leanne about some of the adventures he and the guys had been on, which she laughed at and found absolutely adorable. He made sure to leave out the stolen portrait. Leanne told Peter about life on the east coast before she moved to California. She was from a small, southern town where she lived her whole life until she decided she needed a change.

"What made you become a librarian?" Peter asked.

"Well," Leanne said. "You know how you and your friends go on all sorts of adventures and have all sorts of fun?" Peter nodded, listening intently to what she was saying. "It's sort of like that for me with books. Don't laugh, but when I read a book I picture myself in it and I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want to do. I've always loved books that way."

"Why don't you go on an adventure for real?" Peter asked.

"I don't know," Leanne replied, mulling it over in her head. "I guess I just haven't found the right person to join me on a real one yet." She smiled brightly at Peter.

"Maybe we could go on an adventure one day," Peter said in a whisper.

"I think I'd like that very much," Leanne replied. They finished up their ice cream and Peter drove her home. He was very proud of himself for keeping it together so well. Sure there were rough patches, but all in all he didn't do so badly. Leanne even seemed to enjoy his company! He parked in front of her house and walked her to the door. He wasn't sure if he should try to kiss her or not, but luckily she seemed to have read his mind.

"Goodnight, Peter," Leanne said, giving Peter a soft peck on the lips. "I had a wonderful time."

"Me too," Peter said, blushing again. "Do you think, maybe, we could… you know… go out again sometime?" He squeezed his eyes shut waiting for her answer.

"I'd love to," she said. "Oh and before I forget, I wanted to give you this." She pulled out a brown paper bag that quite obviously held a book inside. Peter took it and was about to open the bag when Leanne stopped him. "Open it and read it when you get home." She kissed him one last time before he skipped his way happily back to the Monkeemobile. Leanne watched him pull away before closing the door.

_I am going to turn this sweet, innocent, adorable boy into a real man. _She smiled to herself. _I_ _just have to be a little patient._


End file.
